


The Best Influence

by summerartist



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illustrated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-08-31 22:59:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8597110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerartist/pseuds/summerartist
Summary: Rip Hunter has lost much in his life. However, when the cold sets in and he starts to brood, he is reminded that he has gained a lot as well. (set before s2 begins)
Chapter 2 now up set in s1





	1. The Best Influence

**Author's Note:**

> If my muse fancies it I may write more of these illustrated one-shots. I haven't decided yet.

Something had happened in year 1815. The Napoleonic Wars had been won and already there was a time aberration forming, something that would plunge Europe back into war again and would have major consequences on the timeline. Rip read over the results in his study. They had more than enough time to correct the anomaly, but he still had some healthy apprehension. He had to count on his team's readiness in this instance. This would be another trip where they all influenced events and hopefully set things back in balance.

Rip got out his document projector with its direct link to the Waverider's system and downloaded the map into its data core. It would be their guide on the exact route to take and it would be continually updated from the ship's systems. Rip briefly checked the projector by pulling up the glowing map. Seeing that everything was in order, Rip stuffed it into his pocket and exited to go to the bridge. He approached the comm system and activated it.

“If you all could come to the bridge, we have another aberration.”

He shut off the comms and activated the larger computer console in the center of the bridge to display the data he had just been viewing. This way the team could view the information and prepare themselves. The briefing would not last long and already he saw his team start to file in. Rip waited until everyone was present and then began explaining.

* * *

“Oh. Well done with those decorations, my dears,” a small woman praised.

The young time masters were helping her prepare for their Yule celebration. Her children had come from all walks of life and she had settled on creating an annual Yule celebration for the little ones. The tradition seemed to please both them and their adult selves as they grew and recalled the festivities from their childhood. They had very faint recollections of their former lives and could hardly tell her what their previous traditions were. Most of them had come from poor backgrounds and sparse beginnings so that anything extra like a biscuit or a mince pie was treasured no matter the occasion.

 Her two younger ones sat at the table and decorated biscuits with snowflake patterns and animals. They squinted with concentration. Ellen in particular seemed to lose awareness of her surroundings while she focused on crafts or her studies. Michael was always charmed by her abilities to tune out the world. He often helped her with her work during his spare time. They had a charming sister and brother relationship, which is why her mother turned to her to ask, “Have you seen Michael this afternoon? Ellen?”

 It was dreadfully nippy out and she knew that Michael in particular was susceptible. She still refused to call him by his new alias, Rip.

 The young girl blinked up at her, coming back to herself. “He went back to the stream at lunchtime.”

 The refuge had a nice spread of land with a little copse of trees and a natural stream in the back that the children played at. It had frozen over two days ago, but one could still hear the water trickling under the ice and snow.

 “That was an hour ago,” she tutted. She was torn between going to find him herself or letting Ellen search for her foster brother.

 The front door of the house opened and quiet footsteps could be heard in the foyer. It sounded as if Michael had returned. She walked to the source of the soft sounds and found the young time master struggling to remove his scarf. His coat was a bit small now that Michael's growth spurt had truly kicked in.

 Michael's nose was red and frost stuck to his vivid red hair. He was shivering and he looked more than a little forlorn. During the winter she could not help but think back to the night when the time masters first brought him to the refuge. She took a step forward and helped remove his scarf, then she ushered him over to the fireplace so that he could warm himself. He gave a deep cough.

 

 

 

“Goodness, that cough isn't getting any better, is it? You should stay indoors today, help your brothers and sisters decorate.”

 Michael shrugged, still quivering. “They s-seem to have it handled.”

 “Well don't go making yourself sick, all right? Heaven knows I have my hands full helping them with their equations and arithmetic.”

 Rip gave a slight smile. It had always been their private little joke that he was the professor of the house. He cleared his throat and held his hands over the fire and let the warmth seep in. He felt his eyes fall shut...

 ...Rip held onto that memory for a moment. That had been the Yule where his mother gave him his coat. It was large, much too large for his lanky frame at first. The warm brown garment had been with him throughout his adventures and it had also been there to wrap around his son and wife. He wore it now under his period clothing. It turned out that he needed the extra layering. They had arrived in England in 1815 during a frosty night with particularly low temperatures.

 Ray and Martin were dressed to the nines, under the disguise of a wealthy landowner and his nephew going out for an evening of celebration. Raymond was dashing in a navy suit and scarf and Martin was dressed in a deep green velvet suit and cream cravat. The rest of them were more like the rabble, with Sara, Jax, and Mick in rough fraying clothing. Rip had been slightly inattentive in his period accuracy. He had selected items that were warmest without much thought of station, and as a result he looked neither here nor there. He hoped to pass himself off as a law writer or a physician. With his dark blue clothing he could easily position himself a little above or below status.

 The snow was coming down and they had landed a couple of miles out from their destination, a navigational error that was too late to correct once they touched down. Rip had been miffed about the glitch in Gideon's matrix but he was hardly going to pull the ship in closer in front of the team. He would have to save the tweaking of Waverider's systems until they got back. The team took it in their stride, joking about getting into snowball fights while they walked. Rip had trailed after them quietly as they began their hike.

 “I didn't pack dinner since I thought you all ate,” Raymond informed them.

 Jax shrugged.

 “Why would you pack us dinner?” Sara inquired.

 Martin raised an eyebrow. “Well, the majority of food in this time period is preserved in salt or dried and I dare say that our taste buds aren't used to such large amounts of sodium chloride.”

 Raymond soon got into a debate with him about the best ways to preserve food at the time and the most efficient methods of cooking with the bare essentials. Rip could sense Jax rolling his eyes. Mick seemed to be lost in thought, gaze going far away as it often did of late. Rip frowned but said nothing, knowing that whatever he tried to offer would be rebuffed. He settled for listening to his team tease each other. It was definitely chilly but nothing he could not handle.

 In the dark he was able to huddle in on himself and appreciate the scenery. The snow scattered across their deeply colored coats and Raymond and Jefferson's dark hair. Rip coughed, sniffling for a moment. The cold air nipped at their exposed faces. No one seemed discomforted as they made their way through the snow and dampness, merry voices echoing across the hills. Rip smiled softly.

 They reached their destination shivering, making their way into the coast side town and then the warm inn. They pulled off their frosty outerwear and placed orders for beer and wine. Rip turned to them before they sat down.

 “Before you get comfortable, I want to take a look at that projector.”

 When he had checked the center console on the bridge the projector had been gone and he assumed that someone carried it for him. It had happened before. Raymond, Sara, or Martin would grab it and play leader for a while. He fondly indulged them most of the time but today he needed to see where they were headed to formulate a plan. His team exchanged glances and Rip felt a sudden sinking sensation in his gut.

 “I don't have it.”

 “We never took it.”

 “Don't look at me.”

 “Great,” Rip hissed. “So what happened to it?”

 Jax suddenly grimaced. “I might have been using the central console before we left. I think I knocked it over. I heard something hit the ground but I couldn't see anything.”

The rest of the team appeared nonplussed as they made themselves comfortable.

 It took all of Rip's willpower not to cover his face with his palm. “All right. It looks like I'll be seeing you all later.”

 “You should let yourself warm up first, Captain,” Martin said kindly. “There's still plenty of time.”

 Rip tied his scarf back on. “No, I'll be fine. Just don't get into a fight while I'm gone.”

 “We'll save it until you get back then,” Mick sat down and waited for the others to join him. A serving maid was eying him with casual interest and Mick smiled at her.

 Rip stopped himself from sighing and stepped back out into the cold. Now he had two long hikes to complete as the temperature steadily dropped. Though the cold continued to be a nuisance the snow was a welcome sight. It added light and purity to the landscape. People bustled by him in the flurry of flakes and Rip concentrated on leaving the crowd and returning to the ship.

 The trip to the Waverider was uneventful and by the end he had expended his reserves of energy. He spent a few minutes warming back up in the ship, but all too soon he was journeying back out into the cold. He began coughing again and it brought back memories he had been pushing away for years. He fell into the age-old trap of brooding and remembering.

 Rip had come from a time when the cold crept into the cracks of the walls and seeped into his skin from the ground. It stole breaths and slowed childrens' steps until, at last, it quietly took their lives during the frozen nights. Rip had been one of the lucky ones. It was during one memorable winter night that he was found by the time masters. He was brought to the refuge. His mother had made him warm tea and bundled him up near the fireplace. He remembered reacting with dazed confusion, strangely docile when usually he would be plotting ways to nick every piece of silverware and china in the cupboards. The cold had always slowed him down, made him a little dim. It was having the same effect now, seeping into his pores and soaking his clothes.

 

 

 

He should have been taking better care of himself for the past week, but with Snart's passing and the...murder...of his family. He squeezed his eyes tight shut as he trudged on. He kept moving and suppressing his coughs as he journeyed to the inn. Once he arrived he could warm up and have a hot mead or whatever it was that his team was drinking. He hoped that they had managed some discretion this time. They still had a job to do...a job to do…

 Rip shook his head and blinked his eyes. He was becoming sleepy, something that was never a good sign in this temperature. He pushed himself onward. It took some dogged determination and perseverance but at last he was walking on cobblestones again. He more or less stumbled towards the inn, acquired projector safe in his frosty pocket.

 When he pushed open the door of the inn he half expected to be greeted with chaos. Bar fights were becoming a pattern with his legends. Try as he might, he found that he did not really care at the moment if they trashed the place. He just wanted to sit down by the fire, though he was numb enough to no longer feel the cold.

 Miraculously the team had not gotten into trouble while he was gone. They had separated into two groups with Martin and Raymond still mingling with the rich patrons. The wealthy had gathered around the seating by the fireplace and when Rip approached he earned a few dirty looks. Martin and Raymond were speaking quietly as their overcoats dried by the fire. They stood when they saw him, both looking as if they were moments away from saying something. Rip blinked as he found his pathway blocked. A serving maid had placed herself between Rip and the other gentlemen.

 “There's a table cleared up over here, sir,” she gestured towards the tables in the corner of the room.

 Rip watched with glazed eyes as the maid attempted to usher him in the other direction. He coughed deeply for a moment and suddenly Raymond and Martin were there.

 “He's with us.”

The two geniuses had taken charge of him and were currently steering him over towards the fireplace. Raymond was wrapping his dry overcoat around him and Martin ordered a hot drink from the maid.

 Rip felt his eyes slip shut and when he opened them again his entire team was there. The patrons by the fire backed away from them with ill grace, grumbling about riff raff. More layers were settled over Rip. Mick took off his woolen cap and shoved it roughly on top of Rip's head, making his ginger hair stick up at odd angles.

Sara took off his soaked gloves. Rip watched her actions dazedly and full awareness gradually started to trickle in. Rip's blue lips parted and he looked up at his legends who had gathered around him, concern in their gazes.

 “Rip, are you back with us?” Martin asked softly.

 At Martin's use of his first name Rip started to focus more. He became aware of the peeved patrons and his absentminded team, who were now completely focused on him.

 “I'm fine,” he rasped.

 Sara and Jax were on either side of him. The warmth of their bodies and the heat of the fire slowly brought color back into his face.

 “Sure, snowflake,” said a gruff voice.

 Rip began coughing again and Sara slowly rubbed his back.

 “Rip, man, I should have gone instead. I was the one that knocked the projector over,” Jax put a hand on his shoulder.

 Rip waved halfheartedly. “No, it was my fault. I-I should have noticed it had gone missing.”

 Sara frowned. “It wasn't anyone's fault. Any of us could have made the same mistake.”

 Raymond gave a small smile. “We're just glad you're okay.”

 Rip nodded, woolen cap wobbling a little. As awareness began to return he realized that he might look a little...silly. He was wearing the entirety of the team's overcoats and he still had Mick's hat placed haphazardly on his head.

 Martin left their group for a moment and returned bearing a tankard. The warm metal was placed between his palms and steam rose gently into the air. He coughed and took a drink. The brew was strong but the heat traveled through him, warming him from the inside out. He gave an inaudible hum.

 “It's a good thing that you came back when you did. Professor Stein was about to start gambling away our estate,” Ray fidgeted with his gloves, slight smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.

 “ _Our_ estate? The Captain entrusted the funds to me, ergo he trusts my judgment when placing stakes on the money.”

 “Whatever. Just leave enough for the beer,” Mick grumbled.

 “And for buying drinks for guests,” Sara added, batting her eyelashes at a pretty maiden from across the room.

 Rip's fingertips brushed over his damp pocket, finding the lump of the projector.

Jax watched his hand. “So, where are we supposed to go now?”

 Rip lowered his gaze thoughtfully, still tracing the edges of the future tech. The scents of sweat, smoke, and perfume wafted around them. He felt the heat of the embers in the fireplace and the warmth of the bodies beside them as his team huddled together.

 Rip unexpectedly gave a soft smile. “We have time. Let's warm up for a bit.”

 He saw pairs of eyes widen out of the corners of his vision and he heard chuckles. For Rip to pause a mission was unheard of.

 “You know, Captain, I think we've become a bad influence on you,” Sara observed with a raised eyebrow.

"Or the best influence," Ray added.

 Rip raised his cup. “I'll drink to that.”

 There were several incredulous but amused snorts.

“Hear, hear,” Mick raised his cup of beer and the team scrambled to follow suit. They clinked their glasses together and settled down at their spot by the fire.

* * *

 

The End


	2. Stowaway

Their latest dangerous situation did little to relax the captain of the Waverider. Rip walked onto the bridge in a rush, coat flapping behind him. His team trailed after him, gazes still unsettled from their latest experience in their quest to destroy Vandal Savage. Rip perched on the Captain's chair and turned it around in preparation to engage.

“We need somewhere to lay low while we plan our next strike at Savage and avoid any time pirates. Do you have any suggestions, Gideon?” Rip went through a list of places and times they had been to recently on the console near the armrest. So far he was getting few ideas. There was a brief pause before Gideon replied.

“Might I suggest Ontario, Canada 1990?”

“That will be adequate.” Rip drew the silver seat brace down.

Snart and Mick exchanged glances.

“So to lie low we're going to visit Niagara Falls or thereabouts?” Snart drawled.

“There's worse places,” Rip waited for the computer to start their engines. “And time is of the essence. Strap yourselves in.” A vibration went through the hull and deck plating and then the ship stilled again. Rip's brow furrowed. The legends shifted in their seats, glancing around. The delay time stretched and Rip appeared concerned.

“Gideon, what on earth-”

“I'm sorry, Captain, but you asked me to inform you if anything came in contact with the hull. There is a life form present in the starboard aft exhaust port.”

“A life form?” The team exchanged glances.

“I believe it is commonly referred to as a 'cat'.”

Snart was drumming his fingers on his armrest and Jax shifted in his seat.

Kendra pushed up the metal brace on her chair. “It's probably warm there in the exhaust port. The neighbor's cats used to hide in my car when I moved to Central City. Someone has to get it out.”

 

“I'll do it,” Ray volunteered.

“But you're allergic,” Kendra frowned.

“Not anymore.” Ray drew himself up proudly. “Ask Gideon. People don't have allergies in the future. Gideon's been giving me regular shots that should take care of them.”

Rip smiled at Ray's enthusiasm. Let it never be said that the healthcare of the future was not good for something.

“Excellent. Then perhaps you could go remove our little stowaway.”

“I'm on it.” Ray darted out of his chair. They watched him run full tilt out of the bridge room. He could be heard dashing down the corridor towards the starboard exit ramp.

“Ten bucks says he keeps the little rodent,” Mick grumbled.

“No one's going to take you up on that, Mick,” Snart informed him. “We all know he's going to keep the cat.”

Rip frowned. He bit back a retort that they were absolutely not going to keep a cat aboard the Waverider. They were saving humanity from a tyrant, not enjoying a pleasure cruise. There was no time for picking up more strays when they already had 8 people aboard. He hoped that Ray would remember that.

* * *

 

Ray kept the cat.

He came aboard the ship holding a little gray ball of mewling fur in his arms. The animal was skin and bones, a starving stray. Rip's heart went out to the tiny thing, but he argued that they could easily drop it off somewhere to be taken care of. Ray defensively demanded to know who would tend to it if they did not take that responsibility. He brought up several more points about Gideon being able to monitor the animal and keeping track of feeding times and when to care for its needs. One more being to look after appeared to look like less and less of a hindrance.

“Even naval war ships had cats,” Ray argued with something of a whine in his tone. “Please, Rip. I've never had a pet that didn't have scales before.”

“That's true,” Kendra piped up. She seemed smitten with the creature as well. Considering that she was a former Egyptian Priestess who worshiped cat gods the revelation that she adored them came as no surprise.

Rip had sighed, watching the starving creature totter around sniffing the floor.

“Alright. Just keep it off the bridge and out of the residency section.”

Grinning, Ray scooped the cat up. “I'll be in the galley then.” He left the bridge with it cradled in his palms. Sara followed him.

Kendra approached and lightly touched Rip's shoulder. “Thank you.”

Rip waved away her gratitude. “I couldn't let it starve, and we do need to be on our way. Gideon, tell Ray and Sara to strap themselves in the galley. We'll be making that jump to the 1990's”

“Yes, Captain.”

This time the engines warmed up with no delays. They left the temporal zone and flew off towards their next destination.

* * *

 

Cards slapped down on Sara's cot in the quiet ship with only the hum of the propulsion core in the background. Snart reshuffled his hand and considered only for a split second before laying his next card down.

Quake sat purring on his lap. The cat had curled up contentedly across Snart as soon as he took a seat on the edge of Sara's cot and remained there throughout several rounds of Black Jack, Texas Hold-em, and a game of Sara's invention. Snart would reach down at intervals and stroke the cat's fur before making his next action. Though it was Ray's cat, Snart was the cat's favorite. Rip had ended up naming the animal.

'Quake' was named after temporal phenomena that the Captain did not elaborate on, but Ray latched onto the name immediately. By his logic, Quake was found on the ship and therefore should receive a time themed name. Mick had reluctantly tolerated its presence since Snart had formed an attachment to it. Captain Cold could often be seen with the darkly colored feline curled up beside him.

“How is it that when Ray holds that cat he looks more like a child and you end up looking like a James Bond villain,” Sara observed.

“I wouldn't know.” Snart drew another card.

They lapsed into silence again as Snart upped his game and Sara matched him. She ended up wiping the floor with him with luck on her side. Leonard gave a quiet groan. Quake yawned, exposing rows of tiny teeth. It settled back down into a more peaceful doze.

 

 “I don't think Rip is happy that we're keeping an animal on board.”

“He'll come around,” Leonard muttered. “He knew what he was getting into when he assembled the team.”

Snart ended up winning the next round and the next. Sara closed their games by achieving one more win. They concluded their games tied as they often were.

* * *

 

The night was quiet. Rip breathed in the soft scent of dark hair, nuzzling closer. Miranda sighed contentedly, shoulders shifting in front of him. They were side by side in this peaceful moment.

“Rip, have you found your gift for Jonas for his birthday?”

“Mmm. Not yet.”

They kept their voices quiet and conspiratorial though they knew their son could not hear them. They carried on their conversation for a while. Rip was having trouble hearing everything she spoke about but he always had a reply prepared. It was disorienting but pleasant as he nuzzled further against the nape of his wife's neck. He could sense Miranda smiling. Gradually, the images began to fade. The happy rose tinted glow of their surroundings slipped away. He awoke on his cot aboard the Waverider.

The pleasant glow of the dream lingered for a moment. His head remained nestled against his pillow where the vision of Miranda had been.

A hollowness gnawed at him and suddenly he was hit by a wave of unease. He sat up, pleasant feelings from the dream evaporating in the cold room. Rip heard a soft sound and simultaneously saw a dark spot on his bed. Quake was curled up on his mattress.

“What the- Get out!” Rip grabbed hold of the sheet and shook it vigorously to wake her. She normally slept in Ray's room. The bridge and his cabin were off limits to the feline, at least they had been. How Gideon could have allowed the cat to sneak into his room was still unclear.

The cat wobbled when the sheet shifted. It purred. Rip scowled at it. He was aware that the dream had left him in a particularly sour mood. He was used to nightmares about the future, about Miranda and Jonas in hiding or in distress. Rip shut his eyes, concentrating on evening his breathing out. There was nothing he could do about it now. He could only shoo the cat away and go back to sleep. He was lying half slumped over on his cot. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could do…

His breath stuttered and he covered his mouth with his hand, muffling any sounds that might escape. Quake purred on, oblivious to her bedmate's distress. Rip stayed like that for a stretch of time, quietly remembering.

His remained by the ball of fluff that was the team's cat, head still tilted towards the mattress. He took in large breaths through his half parted lips and exhaled in short puffs of air. Quake stretched, paws brushing the crown of his head. She started grooming herself, washing her face with her outstretched paw. Rip watched her through bleary eyes. She was so calm and peaceful, content with the world and confident it would not harm her. Rip freed the arm trapped beneath him and started petting her. He scratched her gently under the chin and she nuzzled into the touch. Rip shifted down into a more comfortable position and continued giving Quake attention, swallowing down his grief for a moment.

His hand brushed over thick healthy fur. Quake had long since recovered from the state in which they found her thanks to his team's tender care. Fat and muscle surrounded her ribs and she was more active than ever, but tonight she seemed content to stay where she was.

Rip ended up settling down and falling back asleep next to the cat that night. When he awoke Quake was gone. It had dashed off to join the team and have its breakfast. Rip awoke feeling a little lighter that morning, the burdens upon him no longer so weighty. He had a team to help him endure.

* * *

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that this will be it. I keep being pulled into different fandoms but I enjoyed my time with Rip and the legends.


End file.
